About Alnwick, Northumberland
Once a held by the De Vesci family for several centuries at the dawn of the second millenium, Alnwick Northumberland was handed on to the house of Percy in 1309. The
Percys are still seated in the castle at the centre of the town.
Alnwick has been described as 'The best place to live in the country' (Country Life Magazine October
2002), and no doubt the Eight thousand inhabitants of this exquisite Northumbrian town would agree.
It sits on the river Aln in
Northumberland, North East England a stone's throw from Berwick & the Scottish borders and a five minute drive to the coast. Records
show that Alnwick's history stretches back as far as six hundred AD, and has emerged through countless invasions by the Scots including
an attempt in about 1400AD to raze it to the ground. It has remained a successful market town over the centuries, largely due to its
location on the A1 - the main transport link from the Captal to Scotland. Having successfuly retained much of its original charm depsite
its constant growth, it is a great success with tourists. It is twinned with the German town Voerde, the Norwegian town Bryne and Lagny
on the outskirts of Paris.
Largely a rural community, Alnwick now lies within commutable distance of the nearest city, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne & has a large
commuter population. Some major employers in Alnwick include House of Hardy, world-renowned makers of fly-fishing tackle, Greys of
Alnwick, also world-renowned makers of fly-fishing tackle, Northumberland Estates, the Duke of Northumberland's agricultural, forestry
and property interests, Barter Books, one of the largest second-hand book shops in Europe, & Sanofi Synthelabo, a large pharmaceutical
research and testing centre. The main East Coast railway link runs via the nearby Alnmouth for Alnwick Station. Alnwick was once
connected to the main line by the Alnwick branch line, however, this was closed in January 1968. The old station building now houses
Barter Books - a vast collection of used books available to buy. The old railway station building is particularly grand for a town of its size.
Its grandeur stems from is frequently being used by royals visiting the Duke of Northumberland in residence at the castle.
At the very core of the town centre is a once thriving cobbled Marketplace which acted as a venue for the cattle market which was the
main industry of the town. Beautiful little picture postcard streets such as Fenkle Street, Pottergate and Narrowgate surround the
marketplace, many of which are cobbled, and all of which are lined by charismatic period buildings. Historically, Alnwick was surrounded
by a defensive wall to stave off attacks from invaders, but this wall has since been almost completely demolished, and only one of the
majestic gatehouses survice. Hotspur tower as it is known was built at the turn of the second millenium and derives its name from the
2nd earl of Northumberland, known as Harry Hotspur, who gained notoriety as a key combattant in William Shakespeare's Henry the 4th
Part 1
To the north of the town sits Alnwick Castle, which protected the town from invaders from the North across hundreds of years. To this
day the castle is inhabited by the Percys. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland currently sit in residence at the castle making it the
second largest inhabited castle in the country after Windsor Castle. The Alnwick Garden project sits within the grounds of the castle, and
is a visitor attraction in its own right. Open all year its majesty has received worldwide acclaim. the castle also acts as a headquarters
for the Duke of Northumberland's business operation Northumberland Estates, as a university campus for students from St. Cloud
university in Minnesota, USA, and attracts thousands of tourists each year from across the globe. the castle and its grounds have also
received worldwide attention on the silver screen. It has featured in dozens of movies and television programmes. These include Harry
Potter and the Chamber of secrets, Blackadder, Robin Hood prince of thieves, The fast show, & Elizabeth.
Another fine building in the town centre is the gothic Pottergate tower. This is a beautiful ornate gatehouse was built in the eighteenth century on the site of the original gate. It once had an elegant spire, but this proved to be quite delicate and was destroyed a short time after it was built by a storm. The Playhouse is an all purpose arts centre, which contains a theatre, a cinema and a gallery.
The Northumberland Gazette is a weekly newspaper which covers the Alnwick district and who has its main office in the town centre. The town also has countless leisure and sports facilities which include a brand new leisure centre, football rugby and cricket clubs and pitches. There is also the opportunity for rock climbing, walking, water sports, cycling and equestrianism. There are also upwards of fifteen golf courses within a short distance of the town.
There are numerous memorials around Alnwick dedicated to the countless wars between the Percy family and the Scots. On a hill facing the castle on the north bank sits a large stone cross which commemorates the killing of King Malcolm III of Scotland whilst invading on the outskirts of the town. Near the entrance to Hulne Park an engraved memorial records the place where William of Scotland was siezed by Odinel de Umfraville in the 1100s. Others exist.
Amongst the other attractions in the town are Brizlee Tower, which is an ornate folly which looks down on Hulne park, the private estate which was designed by Robert Adam and built in the 18th century, The White Swan, a hotel, the original of which was built in the 1700s, and which features the lounge taken out of the Olympic, the sister ship from the Titanic when it was broken up after its sinking for fears of a repeat, the Northumberland Fusiliers museum which is housed in Alnwick Castle and the Percy tenantry column which was built in the 19th century in thanks to the Duke of Northumberland of the time.
Each year, a football match is contested between the parishes of st. Paul and st. Michael on the pastured land below Alnwick Castle. It
takes place on Shrove Tuesday and kicks off with the Duke of Northumberland pitching the ball down from the battlements of the castle.
Once a team scores 3 goals, or hales, then the match is won. Other yearly events include the Alnwick Castle tournament which is a
mediaeval spectacular involving jousting, fire eating and juggling, held below the castle, Alnwick Fair, which takes place each summer
and is a costumed fair which hopes to replicate an authentic mediaeval event, and an International Music festival which attracts acts
festival which attracts acts
from all over the world.
Airy is just one of the famous people to have been born in the town. Others include philosoper Bernard Bosanquet, and Ralph Tate, who was a leading light in the field of geology. |
